As Thad Seymour Jr. delivered his commencement address on Dec. 13, he noted a unique accomplishment he earned that day: being part of the first father and son duo to receive honorary degrees from 麻豆原创. Former interim president of 麻豆原创 and retired executive, Seymour was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree in recognition of his lifetime of selflessness, achievement and dedication to giving back to the community. About 34 years earlier, his father, Thaddeus Seymour Sr., was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from 麻豆原创 in May 1990.
鈥淢y late father, Thaddeus Seymour Sr., devoted his career to higher education as both a teacher and administrator, including serving for 12 years as president of Rollins College in Winter Park,鈥� Seymour said during his commencement speech. 鈥淭hroughout my life I have worked to embrace and act upon the values that he and my late mother Polly shared with their children.鈥�
鈥淭he bestowing of degrees at commencement was always my favorite part of the year at 麻豆原创, so to be recognized in this way, by the university that Katie, [my wife], and I so deeply love, is truly an honor.鈥� 鈥� Thad Seymour Jr., honorary degree recipient
Thaddeus Seymour Sr. also served as the dean of Dartmouth College and president of Wabash College. With this upbringing on college campuses, Seymour says education was a logical path.
Seymour has contributed to 麻豆原创 in varying roles since 2015. Prior to serving as 麻豆原创 interim president from February 2019 to April 2020, he led the development of the university鈥檚 previous strategic plan and was named vice president for partnerships and chief innovation officer.
鈥淗is strategic insight and leadership were instrumental in shaping our previous roadmap, which served as a guiding force for the university鈥檚 academic and operational growth,鈥� Provost Michael D. Johnson wrote in his recommendation letter. 鈥淏y uniting university leadership, faculty and community stakeholders, Thad ensured the plan aligned with the needs of both 麻豆原创 and the broader Central Florida region, positioning 麻豆原创 as a leader in innovation and economic development.鈥�
Seymour also played an instrumental role in making 麻豆原创 Downtown 鈥� which celebrates its five-year anniversary this year 鈥� a reality. As the intellectual anchor to Orlando鈥檚 Creative Village, 麻豆原创 Downtown has awarded over 10,300 degrees to Knights in select majors across the university鈥檚 College of Business, College of Community Innovation and Education, and College of Sciences, as well as students at Valencia College.
鈥淚n my DNA is this belief that education is the single most important thing that can improve a person鈥檚 opportunities, their quality of life, their livelihood and their impact on the world,鈥� Seymour said in an interview in 2019. 鈥淎nd education should not be a privilege, but rather widely available to expand opportunity and strengthen our society.鈥�
鈥淭had was also a key architect in the creation of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Downtown Campus, a transformative project that has redefined urban education in Central Florida,鈥� Johnson continued in his letter. 鈥淗is efforts to bring together [various] partners 鈥� including the City of Orlando, Valencia College and private industry 鈥� were critical to the success of this ambitious initiative. Today, 麻豆原创 Downtown serves more than 8,000 students and has become a hub for experiential learning, community engagement, and economic revitalization, thanks to Thad鈥檚 leadership and vision.鈥�
Seymour earned a bachelor鈥檚 in history from Dartmouth College, and a master鈥檚 and doctoral degree in history, from the University of Wisconsin. He also graduated from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University with an MBA.
For three decades, Seymour worked as a business executive in technology and healthcare industries, including his work as vice president of marketing and strategy at Curascript, a subsidiary of Express Scripts, which had acquired Priority Healthcare where he had quarterbacked the $1.3 billion transaction as vice president of corporate development.
Leveraging this expertise and a skill for fostering partnerships, Seymour has contributed to the growth of Central Florida. He helped bring more than $3 billion to Lake Nona Medical City by leading strategy and business development聽for the area in his role as senior vice president of Tavistock Development Company. He created and served as founding president of the Lake Nona Institute, which hosts the widely acclaimed annual Lake Nona Impact Forum focused on health innovation. Seymour also led efforts to bring the United States Tennis Association to Lake Nona 鈥� resulting in the nation鈥檚 largest tennis complex.
He has served on the board of the Orlando Economic Partnership, Visit Orlando, BioFlorida, and Innovate Orlando. Seymour is a past chair of the statewide Florida Research Consortium, StarterStudio, an entrepreneurial support nonprofit organization in downtown Orlando, and Shepherd鈥檚 Hope, which provides free medical care to more than 20,000 uninsured patients annually throughout Central Florida.
Now retired, Seymour and his wife, Katie, remain active community volunteers, including training puppies for Canine Companions, a national nonprofit that provides services dogs for free to those needing assistance.
鈥淔or his exceptional leadership, unwavering commitment to 麻豆原创, and his visionary approach to higher education, I can think of no one more deserving of the honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service than Thad Seymour,鈥� Johnson stated in his letter. 鈥淗is contributions have left a lasting legacy at 麻豆原创 and within the Central Florida community.鈥�
Honorary degrees require a detailed nomination process, a recommendation from the university president, and ultimately, approval from the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees’ vote, which occurred on Sept. 27, 2024, for one to awarded to Seymour was unanimous.
鈥淭he bestowing of degrees at commencement was always my favorite part of the year at 麻豆原创, so to be recognized in this way, by the university that Katie, [my wife], and I so deeply love, is truly an honor,鈥� Seymour says.
As Seymour joined Knights who were awarded nearly 6,500 degrees this semester, he encouraged them to do three things: honor this special place and take it with them, celebrate the 鈥渃rooked path鈥� that lies ahead, and be the best leader they could be.
鈥淯ltimately, I found my way back to academia, having the honor and pleasure to work with incredible leaders at 麻豆原创 who were redefining the future of higher education. I couldn鈥檛 have planned or predicted my 鈥榗rooked path鈥� any better than you will be able to,鈥� Seymour said during his commencement speech. 鈥淏ut by celebrating it you are always ready to pivot when a new and unexpected opportunity appears before you. Armed with what 麻豆原创 has provided to you, I鈥檓 confident that your path will be rewarding and impactful in ways you can鈥檛 even imagine today.鈥�
